Cybertron: The darkness before
by tflover2.0
Summary: Before the Great War, and his arrival to Earth, Optimus Prime was once Orion Pax. Megatron was Megatronus. Amidst the growing crime and secrets, both Orion and Megatronus struggle to get rid of the caste system, when they discover that the Primes have been keeping dark secrets that could ruin the fragile peace Cybertron now has. First time story, and rated T for content later on.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Cybertron. Home of the transformers. Under its distant sun it glistens with its metal surface. Yes, a whole planet made of metal. Seemingly having no life, but with so much motion. Airships passed this way and that. Cargo ships carrying goods from other planets, passenger ships carrying young and old Cybertronians, exploration ships ready to go into the distance, and authority ships checking ship contents and keeping the peace in air traffic. An airship flew by, with no specific markings, but the authorities let it by. It flew down to the surface heading to a remote abandoned airfield. Meanwhile, at the said airfield, three young bots played. They were playing lob, a Wrecker game where they chucked the ball at each other. The person who is able to catch the ball and get the others to drop or miss it would win. But as these three played, one hung back in the shadows of the rusty clerk desk. He wasn't at all good with lob, and the others weren't going to invite him over. This lonely bot was a transfer, a bot who wasn't from their group, wasn't born with them, and was older than them. While the others would play around and roughhouse with each other, he would study Cybertron's history. The largest of the group, Skyquake, missed the ball and dropped it. It bounced across the surface, making a clanking noise at every bounce, and then rolled toward Orion. Orion looked back at the others as the ball bumped into him.

"Hey Orion, pass the ball over now! We know that you are all for knowing history and treating it like it matters, but we have more important things to worry about to be studying and staring at our starry counterparts. Like, for example, play lob to pass our fitness initiation test! Unlike you did." The others chuckled at his taunt, knowing Orion probably wouldn't do anything about it, and that if they didn't laugh, they might be the next victim. Orion glared at Skyquake, and grabbed the ball as he got up. He tossed the ball up, testing its weight. He threw his arm back and chucked the ball at Skyquake. It flew across the landing pad and lodged itself into Skyquake's face. He fell backwards, energon dripping from the wound. Orion and the other two bots ran over to him. Skyquake's face was dented, with a scratch running down it. Fixable, but painful at least.

"Skyquake, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hit you. Are you okay?" Orion stammered, afraid of what Skyquake's condition was, and more importantly, what he would do to him. Skyquake mumbled something, and the others leaned in to hear him.

"I'm...going...to...kill you!" Skyquake said. Orion started to back up, ready to run. But the roar of an engine stopped him. They recognized the engine roar and quickly scrambled into place. Orion maneuvered himself to the end of the line, farthest away from Skyquake. The ship landed, making the ground shake beneath them. The ship was a charter ship, solely meant for transporting younglings and their designated directors. Designated directors were teachers, in a sense, but the younglings would stay with this teacher from the start of being a youngling to adulthood, or until they passed their initiation test. This particular director was quite spiteful, and never failed to complain when given the chance. He had very spindly arms and legs with a hunched back. His voice was raspy, when he talked, and he always scowled. The ship opened to reveal the director, along with another, younger bot about the same age as them. The younger bot was thick, with strong arms and legs, and a proud chest. But his face gave an almost sinister feel, even though he was looking so depressed. Orion felt his curiosity rise, but he kept quiet. He knew he would eventually know who he was. The director stalked down the ramp, looking at the younglings with a keen distaste. He focused on Skyquake, and frowned even deeper.

"What on Cybertron happened to you? I leave you for a couple cycles, and I come back to find at least one of you hurt. Come on, give me a break for once," the director said, not amused at the damage done to Skyquake.

"Orion threw the ball at me!" Skyquake said, pointing at Orion.

"Nice job Orion. Maybe next time you can send him to the medics." All the younglings smirked at this, since they all knew Skyquake was a bully and a jerk, "But please, be a little more controlling of yourself next time. You are older than them, and should have more of a sense. I expected better than this from you. Skyquake, stop being a pesky brat and grow up for once. I have enough to deal with without you messing around," The director scolded. Skyquake just glared at him. Then the other bot the director brought along cleared his vocals. The director looked back at him.

"Yes, yes, I was getting to you! Be patient youngling. It is a good virtue to have, one I have none of. Younglings," the director began, "This is Megatronus. Named after the prime, with just as enough gumption, he will be transferring here. Yes, another transfer," the director added as the other younglings groaned, "Seems like we are getting all the leftovers. Megatronus here was in a medic center when an accident occurred, killing his whole group. So at least his transfer is an honorable one, if sad. I don't know why we are getting all the transfers, but we'll just have to deal with it." Orion looked at the ground when the director said those words. _At least his transfer was an honorable one_. He didn't want to be here, or be scorned just because he wasn't able to pass the fitness initiation test. He was just unlucky, in his own eyes.

"Megatronus will be doing the same routines as you, but once he passes the initiation test he will move elsewhere. Now, group J5, I have some education scheduling to do, so play nice! Or at least try..." the director sighed, and stalked back into his ship. The younglings watched as the ship took off, leaving a small cloud of cloud and smog. Orion looked at Skyquake who, he found, was staring at him, an evil thought brewing in his mind. Orion looked behind him, looking for a place to run to. He saw the airfield center door was ajar, and made a plan to go there. He looked back as the other bots began to move apart to watch the imminent confrontation.

"Hey look Skyquake, I didn't mean to hit you. Can't you just forget it ever happened? I'll never touch the ball again, how about that?" Skyquake shook his head.

"Too late for that, Orion. Now, you pay." Skyquake began to sprint toward him. Orion ran off, trying to reach the center, where he would have an advantage. Megatronus, shocked by the sudden takeoff, ran after them to see what was going on, and the two others followed.

"You can't hide in there Orion! There is nowhere you can run to!" Skyquake called after him, laughing. Orion ran faster, fear of Skyquake running through him. He entered the center, and quickly looked around. He chose right, and headed toward what he hoped was an archive. As he ran he hoped he would escape Skyquake's wrath, since he knew what he would most likely do to him. He shivered at the memory of when he saw Skyquake severely hurt a youngling by crushing his arm, just for taking his ball. _That won't happen to me_; Orion thought to himself, _I'll be fine_. He rounded a corner to find a dead end. He looked around in terror, looking desperately for a way out. He heard a clack of metal against metal as Skyquake blocked the entrance.

"Now, you'll get what you need. A lesson of pain. One of the most effective, I'll say." Skyquake snarled, and began to approach toward him. Orion felt his whole body shake. He looked at the other bots that were behind Skyquake. Two were grinning, ready for blood and safety from Skyquake's wrath, but Megatronus wasn't. He looked thoughtfully at Orion, and gave him a look of doubt, as well as pity. Orion begged him to help with his eyes, pleading for someone to help him.

"Is hurting him necessary? You taught him his lesson just by terrifying him, by the looks of it. There is no need to hurt him. I should know, since I'm training to be a gladiator," Megatronus said, making Orion relax, if only a little. Skyquake spun around, and narrowed his eyes. He pounced on Megatronus and pinned him against the wall.

"Listen transfer! I'm the one in charge here, and as long as you do as I say, you'll be just fine he..." Skyquake was stopped mid word as Megatronus grabbed his left arm and jerked it in a circle, dislocating it. Megatronus punched him in the jaw, knocking him into a heap. He leapt on top of him, punching and punching Skyquake until energon was spurting everywhere. The others watched in horror as they saw their group brother be beaten up. No one had ever done this much damage to him before.

"Megatronus stop!" Orion yelled out finally, "You'll kill him!" Megatronus paused, and looked down at his handiwork. Skyquake's optics were leaking, the pain causing a system overload. He would definitely need a medic now. He got up and walked toward Orion. The others backed away as he glared at them. He stopped in front of Orion, and cocked his head, ever so slightly.

"Why shouldn't I kill him? He might have done the same to you, by the looks on your face." Orion didn't know how to answer, shocked at the question. Megatronus held out his hand.

"I'm Megatronus. What's your name?" He asked.

"Orion Pax." Orion answered. Megatronus nodded, and motioned for him to follow him outside. The two bots watched them walk out, too scared to do or say anything. Orion just followed Megatronus, too shocked and numb from the residual fear to do anything else. They walked out to the center to the airfield, and Megatronus picked up the ball.

"Catch!" He called, and threw the ball. It arched over the platform, and Orion tried to catch it. It slipped his grasp, and rolled behind him. He ran to pick it up, and threw it back.

"Why did you help me?" Orion asked as they continued to throw the ball back and forth. Megatronus caught the ball, and stopped. His grip tightened on the ball, as if dealing with some inner struggle.

"Because when I needed help dealing with my group's death, no one gave it to me. They all told me to be strong. When I got no help, I resolved to be better than that. I would help others when they needed it. That is why I helped you. Because you needed it." Orion felt moved by his words, and walked up to him. He put his hand on his shoulder, and gave him a smile. Megatronus looked at him, and ever so slightly smiled to.

"By the way the others were treating you, I would presume that you are a transfer too?" Megatronus asked.

"Yes. I couldn't take the test, so I automatically failed it." Orion answered, becoming gloomy again from the memory.

"Well then, we can be transfers together, group brother." Megatronus said, and gestured to the ball. As Orion backed up to begin playing again, he felt like the start of something good was just beginning. Why wouldn't it? This was the first friend he ever had since his transfer. But when he would look back, so many millennia later, he would be so wrong.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The ground trembled as the great beast fell. Orion could hear the crowd roaring, but it wasn't for him. No, it was for the great Megatronus, his best friend, the famous gladiator. During their childhoods, Megatronus had toned his skills in fighting, and took to being a gladiator. But while everyone else only saw him grow harder, and more famous, Orion saw him as he was, a bot that was not quick to trust, but once he did he was a loyal friend. Orion only saw the good of him when hanging out.

The roaring intensified for a few moments as the door opened to let in a battered Megatronus, not letting himself be held up by a medic until once inside. Orion shook his head, knowing full well he wouldn't let his fans ever see him being held up by a medic. It showed weakness, which he hated. Orion jogged over to give the poor medic a hand, who was struggling under Megatronus' weight.

"So, how was the Rondavel's fighting skills?"

"Owwww... painful, to say the...owwwwwww... least," Megatronus replied, cringing in pain as they sat him down on a bench. The medic got right to work, grafting his wounds together.

"Oh, so not enough a challenge then. Guess that makes the Rondavel species off the list," Orion teased.

"He was actually really good fighter. Too bad, we probably could've been friends," Megatronus sighed, then gave a flinch as the medic hit a soft spot in his response system, " After I get my arm cut off by Mr. medic here, want to help hide me from the imminent crowd of fans outside, ready to pounce on me?" Orion shook his head.

"Sorry, but I have to go to work right away, otherwise I'll be late to work. But I will see you tonight at the usual place. It is your 100th battle, and that in a way deserves celebration."

"Indeed it does, and don't you forget it. Violence is the world Orion, as much as you hate it. You can't deny it!"

"Yes I can, and I am. Violence is not necessary to make someone to see your point of view, do you? You just need a strong voice! Or did you forget the time when I saved your aft by merely talking?"

"Uggh, don't bring up that again. Just because you were right then doesn't make you right all the time! But anyway, I'm keeping you, aren't I? Go on now. Just don't be late tonight!"

Orion raised his hand that he heard as he walked away. He exited the building seeing the crowd already form. Some few optimistic bots looked up in hope that he was Megatronus, but were dismayed. Orion laughed to himself._ Sorry, but I am not Megatronus, and I never will be_, he thought to himself. He walked down the streets of Triteracon, his home city. The streets were full of Cybertronians, and celebration was flooded amongst them. It was Primus day, a day to rejoice their god like creator, who made a great sacrifice to protect the planet. His blood was their blood, and all on this planet loved him. Orion took an elevator to get to the second level. Triteracon was made of three levels, and the gladiator ring was on the third, lowest level so that if any real damage occurred, there wouldn't be anyone beneath to be hurt. That was also where most of the rough bars and run down homes were. The poor lived there. The second level was for those who weren't poor, but weren't rich. All the archives, learning centers, and transportation centers were. The third level was for the rich. The Primes, when they visited, would stay up there. The cities managing systems, such as power, military, and transportation management were there as well. Orion lived on the second level as an archivist. His room wasn't too shabby, but Orion definitely felt the press of poverty around him. As the elevator lifted him upwards, he listened in to the group crowded inside the elevator. Amidst the crowd, he heard the daily gossips, stories of Primus and the Thirteen being told, and something else. Something very odd.

"You are going to join those rebels who are trying to throw down the primes? Are you insane!?"

"Better than just standing by while they lounge in their gold and wealth, not paying for what they did. I mean, they killed my brother! I know they sent assassins after him; they are the only ones who could. I would rather die than let justice be ignored."

"You can't just go do something like that! Think of your friends, your family, of me! What if you die? Then we pay the price, not just with your death, but probably with disgrace and banishment from the city too! Don't make us go through that, please."

"I'm sorry, but I really don't care anymore. Those Primes are slaggin' idiots, and I would be proud to join those rebels!"

_Another antiprimeist_, Orion thought, sighing. Lately, many Cybertronians have been rebelling against the Primes. The Primes were the guardian council of the entire planet. Each Prime was entrusted with a certain system of the planet, such as energon farming, military, and transportation. But lately the Primes have been more worried about threats to the peace, and have become stricter on rules and regulations. But apparently, some think they are acting like tyrants. _I wouldn't know, since I don't what a tyrant acts like, really, but still it puts doubt in one's mind_, Orion thought. _Though, I feel sorry for that poor bot. No one deserves to lose a brother._ The elevator came to a stop, and Orion postponed his thoughts to concentrate on getting through the crowds. But slowly it fell apart, as if something was drawing them away to one place. A little concerned, but not worried, Orion continued his journey to the Iacon Hall. The Iacon Hall. A wonderful place full of learning. It was an archive of all history and knowledge of Cybertron, supposedly, but Orion knew it was merely very well packed full of data, not of everything. It was a simple building with marble columns on the outside wall, and a stone granite entrance that arched above the ground. Every time Orion saw it, he felt a great joy and pride to work there.

But as he neared the Iacon Hall, he didn't hear celebrations. No, instead he heard booing, yelling, and malcontent. He hurried to the end of the street, and saw a horrible sight. A crowd had circled the Primes, and one very large mech was confronting them in the center, yelling at them. Orion recognized it as Skyquake, one of the warriors who guarded the Iacon Hall, and no particular friend of his. But he grew worried as he saw the Primes grow more angered, and the personnel guards more cautious. _That bot will get himself killed, and probably others too_, Orion thought. Suddenly, Apocalator Prime jumped down from the transport and engaged in fighting with Skyquake! Chaos erupted as personal guards and police bots began to attack Cybertronians, and drive them away. Orion couldn't move, still shocked by all that had just occurred. A police bot came in front of him and began to attack him as well. He used his arms as a sort of shield against the baton as it continually slammed down on him.

"I'm not an enemy! Please stop and I will gladly comply!" Orion shouted, but the bot continued to hit him, not hearing his words. Finally, Orion slipped in his meek defenses, and the bot shoved him down.

"Stupid mech. You should have run away if you weren't an enemy." The police bot told him, and Orion grew wide optics as he realized that the mech had heard him. Then the bot wacked his baton across Orion's head, and darkness crept in.

Orion woke up to silence. He groaned as his head began to pulse with pain. He sat up to see a medic crouching next to him, asking him something.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Orion asked, shaking his head ever so slightly to shake the grogginess away.

"I asked if you were awake, but if you can talk, it seems so." The medic began packing his tool case.

"What happened? Why is it so quiet?" Orion asked, shaken by the silence on an international celebration.

"You'll have to look for yourself. Anyway, the worst you will probably have is a headache. I'm Ratchet, by the way, in case you feel worse later on. I have to go help the others with Skyquake, if you don't mind me leaving." Orion shook his head, and Ratchet walked off. Orion got up, wobbling at first, but finally getting his balance. _My gravitational balance system must be off_, Orion thought, _good nothing else was affected_. He looked around and became filled with shock and despair. It looked like a battle had taken place, instead of a small skirmish as Orion had thought he had seen. Injured Cybertronians laid everywhere, bits of metal lying around, and energon littering the streets with blue. His spark nearly stopped when he spotted Skyquake. His body lay in ruins, limbs hanging off by a wire, huge dents as big as his head, and gashes marred his body. Orion shook his head and stared at the ground at this massacre. He heard a moan behind him, and looked around to find an almost equally bashed bot as Skyquake on the ground with a medic beside him, packing his tools. Orion walked up, and looked at the medic questioningly. The medic shook his head and said

"It's too late for him." The medic walked off, to tend to another patient. Orion crouched by the injured bot, grasping his hand.

"All we wanted was to be heard. The primes were ignoring us, and we wanted them to listen," The bot said quietly, hacking up energon, "But then they do all this... I wish I had never done this. Now many bots are offline because of me and Skyquake. Well, at least when I join the Well of Allsparks, I'll be able to say sorry," the bot hacked up a huge amount of energon, and slumped to the ground. The lights in his optics flickered and died, and Orion closed his optics in grief, not just for this poor life, but also for all hurt and forced to hurt, because of this confrontation. He stood up, and looked at the scene before him once again, to see if this was really real.

"This can't be real, it just can't be!" Orion muttered to himself. He slowly limped to the Iacon Hall, where the bot in charge paid for a transport to take him home. As he rode the transport back, his heart was heavy, and his mind thought of only one thought. _What is happening?_


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N Sorry for taking nearly two weeks to update! I got distracted, and a little lazy. Thanks **_**Autobotsareawesome **_**for replying to my first two chapters. That means a lot, to know someone wants to read the next chapters. If anyone has comments or additions to make, please tell me. I love to hear your thoughts. Who knows, maybe your ideas will be better than mine. I also will answer any questions you may have. But please, be kind as to the fact that this is my first story on here. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Transformers franchise (unless toys and books count). I don't own any of the characters, except for my OC's, like Conker, Kraken, and others later on. But hey, a girl can dream, right?**

**P.S. The story is based roughly on the history in tfp, but links to the '07 Bay movie. Don't worry, you'll see later.**

Chapter 2

That evening, Orion found Megatronus at the night fuelers. The gladiator had a cube of high grade in one servo, laughing at some joke or other. Orion paused at an archway close to the door, leaning against it to ease his aching gears and joints. Even though the medic said he probably would only have a processor ache, he could feel the effect of the almost brutal beating the police bot gave him. The pain was really starting to kick in, and Orion was beginning to worry what Megatronus might do. He did have some anger restraint issues... Orion shook his helm. _Don't think like that, _he told himself, _if you tell him slowly, maybe he'll listen. Tell him calmly, and don't let him do anything stupid. You can do that, right Pax? Oh Primus, who am I kidding? At least he is probably overloaded on high grade. _Megatronus noticed Orion, and beckoned him to come over.

"Orion, why stand so idly when there is energon to drink and battles to celebrate?" Megatronus called out, invoking the cheers of his fellows. Orion tried to hide his wince with a smile as he realized he would reveal his obvious pain if he walked over. Orion looked at Megatronus, who was looking at him with a concerned curiosity. Orion tried to smile bigger and pushed against the wall. He tried to hide his limp, but deep concern etched on Megatronus' face told him he was doing horribly at it. Megatronus rushed over to him, putting an arm over his shoulder, helping him to the table. _There goes the surprise, _Orion mused to himself.

"Hey, Orion, what did ya do to yourself? That don't look like a little stiffness in the gears. Rough day?" asked a bot, named Conker. Orion nodded, then wincing as he sat down. _Ooohhh, I should go see Ratchet after this. Scrap this hurts. _

"Ah, well, we all have those, don't we? Have a drink, you look like you need it," Conker said, passing over a cube. Orion nodded his thanks and quietly drank his energon. The others began to have small chat again, but Megatronus kept his attention on Orion. Orion kept quiet, not looking at Megatronus. Then, finally, someone mentioned it.

"Hey, guess what? Apparently, something big, and I mean big, happened at the Iacon Hall today, almost right after your battle M! Somebody rebelled, right in front of the Primes too! It was a madhouse apparently, and lots of bots got hurt. Did you see that Orion?" All the bots looked at him, and Orion shut his optics. The others looked at each other, confused.

"I did more than see it," Orion said, "I got caught in it. It was more than a madhouse. It was a slaughter." Orion saw the others go wide optic.

"What happened?" "Yeah, tell us!" Orion became almost overwhelmed by the bombardment of questions.

"Hey, now, everyone let him speak. Can't you see he is overwhelmed?" Megatronus called out, and everyone quieted down. Megatronus looked at Orion expectantly.

"I was coming up to the Hall, when I thought I heard something strange. Booing and yelling, instead of cheering, as you would normally hear. I rounded the corner, and saw a bot (of who I shall not name for his sake) confronting the Primes. He aggravated them enough to make Appocalator Prime jump down from the transport and attack him," a series of gasps filled the room. Orion realized others in the room were listening too, "guards and Police bots began to defend the Primes against other rebellers, as I came to realize them as, and it became chaos. I got...hit by the wave of innocents running away. That is why I came in limping. I managed to get knocked out as well; when I came to, it looked like a battle of the legends had occurred, instead of a riot like skirmish," Orion ended. The whole place was silent, and mourned for those hurt.

"The worst thing was...was," Orion tried to say, choking on his words, " was when a bot died in my hands," another round of gasps came, "Yes, bots were killed today, in front of our most beloved archive. His last words were: All we wanted was to be heard. The primes were ignoring us, and we wanted them to listen. But then they do all this... I wish I had never done this. Now many bots are dead because of me and bzzzzzzz. Well, at least when I join the Allspark, I'll be able to say sorry," Orion replayed the bots last words, letting everyone know his pain. He had purposely left out Skyquake's name to protect him, as much as he didn't want to. But he thought he would give him a little peace; he definitely wouldn't get any at the archive once he was well again. He looked at Megatronus, and what he saw was exactly what he feared. Megatronus' optics burned with a fury so hot, Orion thought it could have melted metal. One bot put a sympathetic servo on Orion's shoulder plate, while others murmured their apologies.

"There is no need to apologize," Orion told them, "it isn't like you made me see this and partake in it."

"This is unacceptable!" Megatronus stated. _Oh no, _Orion thought, "it's one thing to prance around and lounge in their power, but to actually attack a bunch of innocents, like a massacre, that is something else. It's wrong," the others murmured their agreement.

"Somebody needs to stop all this madness. But who? Who can reign in the rebels and show the Primes they're wrong?" Conker asked. Everyone went quiet, thinking their own thoughts.

"We can," Megatronus said, "we can! Who better than a couple gladiators, mechanics, miners, and an archivist. They will listen to an archivist, if not us. Am I right, Orion?" Orion stared at him for a nanoclick, before shaking his helm vigorously.

"No, absolutely not. You know how I hate violence! I will not participate in actions that would create it! Besides, even if I joined, we would have little hope in doing anything. How could we stop... terrorists and possibly trigger happy Primes? Tell me how to do that without hurting anyone Megatronus, and I may, may join you." Orion said, much to the others dismay. But none argued; they knew his decision was final, and understandable. Megatronus grimaced at Orion, but said nothing.

"Today, we have seen much evil;" Megatronus began quietly, "The Primes who have ruled so peacefully have killed many of our brothers. One lone bot stood up to them, and they did not have the patience or wisdom to listen. They killed and injured bots just because one wouldn't obey to their every wit and whim! You say you hate violence, but let the violence of others slide without doing anything? That is not the bot I know! The bot I know stood up to a terrorcon, got right into its face plate, and told him to calm down, not to use violence, and succeeded. A terrorcon would listen to you, and now that your precious Primes are doing something wrong, you whimper and cower and refuse to do anything? That isn't you! You know it, and I know it," Megatronus said, directly to Orion. Orion stood up slowly, and crouched over the table to get closer to Megatronus.

"I just saw at least fifty bots get killed today, got badly injured myself, and you are asking me to help do that again. Do you realize what that was like for me? Seeing all those bots dead? It was like my spark was being broken. The very people I looked up to, and trusted, killed innocents. It was as bad to me as it would be to you to see me die! And now you are asking me to help create more! You must be rusting inside that processor of yours," Orion almost yelled out at Megatronus, but kept his cool. He knew Megatronus would be hurt more if he talked calmly and quietly. Yelling Megatronus could handle. Severe scolding, not so much. Megatronus, optics filled with hurt, looked down in shame. Orion wanted to apologize, but instead limped outside, and sat down beside the door. The pain in his leg was sharp, and Orion numbly wondered how he was going to get home. He sat under the dark atmosphere, looking for distant stars. He heard the door open, but didn't look to see who it was until they sat down by him. He peered over to see Megatronus joining him in star-gazing. Orion let his cooling system vent out in a sigh, and resumed gazing. For a while, they just sat there, enjoying the view. Orion shifted a bit, but hissed in pain when his leg seized up. Megatronus rummaged through his supplies in his supplies case, or backpack as some nicknamed them, and got out some neural patches. He motioned to Orion to sit up a little more so he could put the patch on.

"I keep a lot of these on hand, knowing that sometimes the medics at the arena aren't perfect at getting rid of the pain," he told Orion, to answer his questioning stare, "Neural patches are the best. That's my little secret to looking strong right after a battle," Orion chuckled, shaking his head.

"And I thought I knew all about you," he said before wincing in pain as Megatronus put the patch on. He then activated a switch on the patch, and Orion felt instant relief as the patch turned off his neural system in his leg. He leaned back and dimmed his optics to rest. He felt Megatronus lean back as well.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you like that. That was bad of me," Megatronus apologized, still leaning back, with one servo behind his helm.

"It's okay. I forgive you. I wasn't really all that angry, just upset by it all. After today, I don't want to see any more violence for the rest of my cycle. I've had my fill. But when you talked as if we needed to rebel, my processor overloaded, I guess. It wasn't your fault, just me freaking out," Orion told him, brightening his optics and slowly sitting up. _Those patches sure take off the pain, _Orion thought. He began to get up, and Megatronus rushed to help him. Once up, Megatronus helped Orion home, walking through the almost empty, quiet streets. The distant rumble of a ship passing over them, and the quick sounds of a night fuelers filled the air.

"Sometimes, I wonder if there is somewhere we bots can go to just, get rid of it all," Megatronus said, "Just to let go our worries, our stress, our pressure. Maybe I can go to that one planet in that spiral galaxy, you know, the recent one we discovered has carbon life forms evolving on it. You know the red planet?" Megatronus added when Orion showed his confusion. Orion thought for a nanoclick, and then realized what he was talking about.

"You mean the planet we named Mars?"

"Yeah, that's the one. I forgot what it was called."

"Really."

"What! We gladiators aren't programmed to remember the unimportant info we obtain!"

"Mars is a very important planet. It is teaching us a lot about evolution in carbon forms, so we can predict what will occur in the future!"

"Yeah, important. How about, more, a hobby. I don't agree with the word important."

"You can't be serious."

"Dead."

"Uggggghh" Orion moaned, and gave up.

"Hey Megatronus, why are you thinking such deep thoughts? Isn't that my job? You know how dangerous thinking is for a gladiator, right?" Orion teased a little after processing over what Megatronus said earlier. Megatronus just rolled his optics.

"I guess hearing about that riot you witnessed is getting to me. It also annoys me that I wasn't there to protect you," Megatronus looked sharply at Orion, who was chuckling slightly at Megatronus' peeve. "I'm being serious, Orion, I am very annoyed. You are like a little brother to me; I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"I feel the same way, brother," Orion replied, and smiled. They finally reached Orion's apartment, and Megatronus left him by the door. He began to walk away when Orion called for his neighbour to help him out.

"Just be careful, okay? I won't be around for a few days, so you won't be able to reach me for help. So please be cautious; you never know what lies around the corner!" Megatronus yelled out to him.

"As if by chance there is a psychopath waiting around that very corner, ready to pounce on you!" Orion replied. Megatronus shrugged, raising his clawed servos in the air. His claws reminded him of the time he first used them. It had been an unnaturally dark day on Cybertron, since there was a meteor shower occurring. They formed a cloud like cover over the surface, casting shadows. He and Megatronus had been hanging out, just talking about recent lessons, when a crazy old rusting bot had approached them with an odd looking weapon and an energon container. Orion had been scared; he started to back away. However, Megatronus stood his ground, moving into a fighting stance, and told the bot to go away.

"I will hurt you if you try to harm us," he added, staring at him warily.

"Megatronus, let's just run!" Orion pleaded, "You'll get hurt!"

"Oh, no, no, youngling, you are going to get hurt whether you run or fight," the bot said, his raspy voice sending shivers down his spine. Then the bot launched himself at Orion, seeing him as the weaker one. Orion stared wide optic as Megatronus yelled out, spun around for momentum, and swung his clawed servo towards the bot, just before he reached Orion. He remembered how they aimed right for the bots very spark...

"Orion? Hey Orion, are you okay?" Kraken asked, shaking him out of his memories. He nodded, and then looked back to where Megatronus was. He was long gone by now, leaving the street empty. Kraken helped him up to his room where, once inside, he laid on his berth. He let himself relax. _I hope tomorrow will be better than today, _Orion thought. His optics dimmed as he fell deeper into recharge, and finally, he offlined them.

**So, good, bad, horrific, inspiring? Tell me your thoughts! Also, sneak peek for next chapter: Megatronus gets a bit of space madness, and the premier of a certain bot many come to love and hate. I'll give you a hint; it starts with Sound, and ends with Wave. ;)**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N okay, chapter three is a go! Oh, okay, so Soundwave's personality is like the one in tfp, but he looks like him in bay movie #3. If that makes sense. Usually silent and deadly. I wanted him to look like the Soundwave in tfp, but it wouldn't connect to well with the movies. Gah, it's annoying. **

**Sorry for the short chapter, as well. This was originally going to be a part of the previous chapter, but then I thought, hey this could be a whole other chapter with Soundwave in it. But after I wrote it, I realized I misjudged the length. Silly me. But anyway, enjoy! And please, review! I would really like some review, just to know if it actually is good.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own transformers, or anything to do with them, but any oc's are mine! Even if they are practically non-existent. **

Chapter 3

Megatronus skulked down the street after he walked Orion home. He burned with a fury so hot; he almost wished it wasn't there. Almost. But the fury gave him strength, courage. Especially for what he was planning to do. But right now Soundwave wished to see him, and he sounded urgent. He turned down streets and alleyways. _Hmm, I wonder what Soundwave wishes for me to see. It must be important if he wants to meet me in the middle of the night, _he thought to himself. He finally reached the meeting point, and looked around for him, but only saw darkness. His optics narrowed, confused as to where Soundwave was. He heard a clank behind him, and he spun around to find Soundwave standing in the pathway.

"Soundwave, my loyal friend. You never fail to sneak up behind me. Now, what is it you wished for me to see?" Soundwave handed him a data pad. Megatronus grabbed and studied it to find nothing but encrypted documents.

"You asked me to come in the middle of the night for encrypted documents?" Megatronus asked, a little skeptical of his silent friend. Soundwave nodded.

"Laserbeak infiltrated the Primes archive and found the documents. I believe they contain all the original laws created by the thirteen," Soundwave explained. Megatronus, shocked, looked at the data pad with new respect.

"As interesting that is, why is this important now?" Megatronus asked.

"There are 42 different laws in that data pad. We now only have 39. One was publically removed, but the other two have not been mentioned anywhere. They just disappeared. I want to know why."

"But I can't decrypt these. I am only programmed as a security bot, and a gladiator! Surely you don't want me to waste my time learning decryption code programs to learn what two insignificant laws are missing?"

"But Orion can," Soundwave pointed out. Megatronus contemplated this.

"Yes, he could. But I won't give them to him soon, understood? Orion was at the riot today, in front of Iacon hall, and he was wounded by the wave of bots running at him," Megatronus said, flipping through the data pad. Soundwave frowned. He witnessed the whole thing himself, and he knew Orion wasn't hurt by the crowd, but by the police bot. But he kept silent. He was a master of secrets, if someone else was keeping one, he wouldn't tell. Soundwave began to slink off, his goal obtained, for now.

Megatronus looked up to find him gone, and let out a vent. He then continued on to his other intended destination. He thought about what Soundwave told him, and about what happened yesterday. _I am so glad Orion is just okay, _he thought, his fury coming back in full swing. Nobody stopped him as he again began to stalk down the street, knowing to well not to mess with an angry gladiator. His thoughts stoked his fury, making him clench his servos. _What if he hadn't been just knocked out, _Megatronus thought, _what if he had been put into critical care, or worse. What if he had been one of the one's to... NO! _He told himself. _That won't happen. Pax knows how to take care of himself, even if he doesn't know how to fight. _But in the end, he couldn't stop the thought slinking into his processor. _What if Orion had died? _A shaky vent came out, nearly a sob. He clamped down on it. _Keep it together, only a few more blocks before you can let it all out. _

Then, with relief, he spotted his goal_. _The Scarrows arena. The beginning of gladiators and arena's. All gladiators dreamed of going there, but only the best actually do, due to the fact that to go in is practically a death wish. Only two rules stood for any gladiator to go in. Win 100 battles, and be able to beat their worst loser. This place really showed whether you really were that good, and where true battles were fought. He marched through the entrance and went to the control center, where the director probably was at this time. He slammed open the doors and marched in, confidence filling him with strength.

He spotted the director, who was somewhat flabbergasted at his loud entrance. He was a short bot, but as some organics across the stars would say, very meaty. Not fat, but muscular. From his structure build, he could tell he was sparked as an engineer. Not as bad as some castes, but certainly not all that good. Megatronus let himself feel some respect toward the director, who obviously worked hard to get to his status now. The bot did not have any distinct coloration, and no particular feature unique to him. But the gladiator next to him was a different story altogether.

The gladiator was a tall, robust figure, with a dark and looming demeanour about him. He had a detachable helmet on, with only a strip of opening to let his optics see. They were a dark, purplish blue, hinting the malice within. Megatronus noted this, as he had not seen many with that type of colour optics. But it was known to happen. But what came after purple, no one knew. It was rumoured they go red when they are completely lost, but that had never been heard of since the days of rebuilding: a time where bots began to rebuild after the Thirteen and Unicron fought. That was a long time ago. The bot had a very strong build, which suggested why he existed as of now. Scars ran down his chassis and faceplates, making him look fierce. But Megatronus knew better than to cower at mere scratches. He had seen, and done, a lot worse. Megatronus walked up to them, ignoring the low growls coming from the other gladiator.

"Who in the pit are you?" The director asked rudely, obviously not liking the abrupt interruption.

"My name is Megatronus, and I wish to fight here," he answered.

**So, how was it? Please Review. I don't need it, but it would certainly encourage me on!**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N Again, sorry for the very, very late update. I really didn't have the muse to do it, if you know what I mean. Now to think of it, I didn't have the motivation to do anything really. I had a whole day of just not wanting to do anything, but lie on my bed and think. Really weird... Anyways, off track here. I have a slight dilemma in terms of the plot line. In the movie 'verse, the second movie (which wouldn't have been a failure if not for the humans and timeline mess up with The Fallen) states that The Fallen in a way took over Megatron's mind, which made him start the war. I didn't know that before I made the plot. So, I want to know if you peeps want that in there. Whether or not it is in there won't really affect the plot much (I hope...) but it will prolong the story ever so slightly. Do you guys want it in there, or should I, like the director Michael Bay said himself, ignore and pretend the second movie didn't exist? Also, I hope you want more of Kraken, cause this chapter is almost all made up of getting to know him. Enjoy! This is my longest chapter so far!**

**P.S. this is how I organize time from now on. If I make a mistake, please note that again, this **_**is **_**my first story, and I am still new at this. And please tell me, so I can make a note to fix it later.**

**Nanoclick: second**

**Breem: a minute (8.3 earth minutes)**

**Joor: an hour (15 breems)**

**Cycle: day (14 joors)**

**Lunar cycle: night (6 joors)**

**7-cycle: week (7 cycles as the name says)**

**Decacycle: a month (ten 7-cycles)**

**Solar cycle: a year (12 decacycles)**

**Orn: 230 solar cycles (also how Cybertronians judge maturity ex: 1- year old= 1 orn old, etc.)**

**Vorn: 25 orns (same as orn, way to measure maturity, when one is a vorn, considered an adult)**

**I did the math, and 1 vorn is 636.290 earth years. I can work with that, I think...**

Chapter 4

The next cycle, Orion woke up feeling stiff and with aching joints all over. He groaned as he got up off the berth. He walked out his berthroom to get some energon when he heard a knock at his door. Confused, he quickly limped to the door to find his room neighbour, Kraken, standing there nervously.

"Kraken. What is wrong, you don't come around often, not that I don't mind of course!" Orion added quickly, scolding himself for being so rude.

"Oh, nothing's wrong, I was just wondering if you needed help getting to Iacon hall today? Since you were pretty beat up last cycle," Kraken replied. Orion nodded at him, thankful for the offer.

"I would gladly accept that offer. Thank you. That is most kind of you," Orion answered. _Thank Primus Kraken works as an archivist guard. I would never be able to get to the hall otherwise. _

_"_Alrightthen, umm, so do you want to go now, or should I wait for a bit. I don't know when you go to the archives, so sorry if I woke you up..." Kraken rambled on, slowing down at Orion's soft smile.

"There is no trouble, Kraken. Do not apologize for merely coming to ask if I needed assistance. I need some energon before we go, but that's all. Please, come in while you wait. Do you need any energon?" Orion asked as he led Kraken to a seat inside his home. He got a cube of energon, and looked over at Kraken, awaiting an answer.

"Oh, uh, no, I couldn't, Orion. It's your energon," Kraken, shaking his head.

"Have you had any energon today?" Orion asked firmly. Kraken vented, and shook his head. Orion grabbed a second cube and limped over to him. He set them down before trying to gently ease himself into a chair. Kraken jumped up to help him though when a loud click sounded and immense pain consumed his leg, originating from his knee joint.

"Here, let me look," Kraken said, and bent down on his knees to get a better look. Orion removed the kneecap so he could see the wiring. Kraken winced.

"What is it?" Orion asked, grimacing.

"Whoever did this to you either slammed their entire weight onto you, or purposely punched your knee to put you in pain. Either way, it does not look pretty. But the good news is that the medic who obviously worked on you did a pretty good job of making sure it will heal properly. It looks like a nerve wire just came loose, that's why it was so painful. Though I'm not a medic, so can't say for sure. Let me try something..." Orion suddenly heard a click, and the pain subsided.

"Whatever you did, I think it worked," Orion said, and relaxed in his seat. Kraken vented, relieved his friend wasn't in pain anymore. He sat down as well and finally drank some of the energon. Orion hadn't realised it until he sat down that Kraken was very anxious and worried for him, especially when fixing his knee wiring.

"I'm okay, Kraken. There is no need to worry. It was merely a loose wire," Orion told him, trying to ease the poor bot.

"It isn't that, I just, well..." Kraken stammered, and then stopped.

"Go on," Orion encouraged, "what is it that's making you anxious?"

"I just want to know what really happened yestercycle that made you hurt so badly. The Primes and the officials say it was a rebellion riot, but I know you wouldn't be part of that. So what really happened?" Kraken asked, looking mildly ashamed that he had to be the one to remind him of the events last cycle. Orion shut his optics for a moment, then opened them.

"It was a riot caused by rebellious bots, so they are not lying to you about that. But what they left out was how they dealt with it..." Orion trailed off, and looked down to the table.

"If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. I would understand completely," Kraken said, feeling very, very guilty to have brought the whole experience again.

"They killed many innocent bots, and severely injured twice as many others. Most of the bots were just citizens watching the parade. But the guards and security drones attacked them anyways," Orion replied, then let out a long vent at Kraken's faceplate expression.

"I can't... it couldn't... I don't believe it!" Kraken exclaimed. Then he mumbled something to himself.

"What was that Kraken? I couldn't catch quite what you said," Orion asked.

"Nothing, just musing to myself," he replied, and vented. They both had an unofficial moment of silence for the poor Cybertronians lost last cycle. Then Kraken stood up to stretch. He grabbed his cube and Orion's cube and headed toward Orion's energon preparing station.* He set them down, and went back to Orion.

"Ready to go now?" Kraken asked.

"Yes, I believe so," Orion answered, then slowly got up. Kraken wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and helped him get to the streets. They then decided to go on the TT, or transit teleporter, seeing as it was the quickest way. They made their way through the streets, crowds, and abundance of sympathy from others. They finally made it to the TT, and Orion relaxed on a seat as the transit began to move. He watched Kraken as he fiddled with his digits, looking very nervous. At first he ignored it, but when he started bouncing his leg up and down, Orion noticed something was up with Kraken.

"Why are you so anxious, my friend? There is nothing to be afraid of," Orion asked.

"Ah, well, just nervous. I mean, after yestercycle, I'm feeling a little jittery. Know what I mean?" Kraken said, trying to stop showing his anxiety, but failing ever so slightly.

"Kraken, tell me the truth. You are a guard at the Iacon hall, very well trained in combat, and we are in a very crowded area. If, I stress on the _if_, the Primes attacked here they would be fools. You know this, so an event like last cycle cannot be what's concerning you. What is it that is bothering you?" Orion scolded, and then crossed his arms, waiting for a reply. Kraken, a little surprised by the outburst, merely looked at the floor of the transit, confliction raging across his face. _What is he hiding inside, _Orion thought, _that could make him act like this? He usually is very open to me, even if he is shy about it. _Finally he spoke.

"I would rather keep it to myself. I'm sorry, Orion, but it is just... a bit too personal for me to share."

Orion felt two emotions at this statement, concern and pride. Pride because Kraken usually gives in to pressure, the poor soft being that he is, and concern for his wellbeing. What was so personal and anxiety rising that he could act like this and _not_ tell his friend, albeit them not being the closest friends. But he let it go, knowing not to cross the boundary when it came to one's personal life. He learned that the hard way when he was younger. He had been pestering Megatronus about his past life in Kaon. At first, he dealt with it, but then he snapped and punched Orion in the faceplate before yelling him that he didn't want to tell him about his past, and to mind his own business. Megatronus then ignored him for a 7-cycle, until Orion made it up by apologizing and buying them tickets to a gladiator match the next cycle. Megatronus had accepted the apology, and gave one himself. But Orion never knew what had happened to make him snap like that, and had realized that some bots have boundaries when it comes to personal lives, and it was in his best interest to not cross them.

Orion was shaken out of his thoughts by a loud blare sounding from the front of the transit. He peered out the window to see bots lined outside, some holding signs, and some throwing things at the transit. Orion just barely managed to dodge a piece of scrap metal covered in some form of energon as it came flying into their cab, clattering to the ground. Kraken crouched and lightly brushed it to get a bit of energon, and tasted it. He quickly spat it out.

"Processed energon," he explained, shaking his head to get rid of the taste.

"Processed energon! You mean someone actually harmed themselves just to throw a piece of metal at a transit? Where is the sense in that?" Kraken shrugged, and sat back down on his seat. Orion continued to look out, and saw most of the signs were arguing against the Prime's rule, and about yestercycle's events.

"I, of all bots, know that what happened last cycle was unacceptable. I also know that civil disobedience is a good, if questionable, way to say what they want to, but aren't they acting a little, over the top, as some may say? Throwing objects at a simple transit? Hurting themselves while doing so? This could easily get out of hand," Orion said to Kraken, waiting for his opinion.

"Well, you have to admit that it is making a statement. While it may seem like they are throwing simple objects, when they cover them with processed energon, it basically says 'look, we want a change, and we aren't afraid of spilling energon to get it'. See what I mean?" Kraken said. Orion vented, staring off into the distance.

"But is all this violence and energon-shed really necessary?" Orion said quietly, and Kraken stayed silent, not knowing how to answer. They eventually passed the group of Cybertronians, and arrived at the station. They walked, or in Orion's case, limped, to the hall. There they were greeted by many of the archivists and guards of the Iacon hall. Most of them almost doted on Orion, much to his great embarrassment. Some of the off duty guards offered to take Kraken's duties so that Kraken could help him around, while other archivists took some of Orion's more strenuous jobs. As they walked into the main room, they saw Alphatrion standing near the rec centre, in deep conversation. As Orion looked at him, he realized that Alphatrion seemed more exhausted than usual. But that was no surprise, what with how last cycle went. His bluish-purple and red armour looked dull in the bright light that filled the room, and his tall stature looked even taller as Orion could tell that he was trying to keep himself up. _Alphatrion is definitely in need of recharge, _Orion thought. They walked up to him, and they saw Skyquake in the chair. To say they were shocked would be putting it mildly.

Skyquake's body was practically in ruins. All his limbs were covered in professional medical patches to numb the pain. Weld marks marred his armour, well what was left of it. Future scars ran down his limbs, and his faceplate looked like it would need corrective surgery in the near future to stop it from crushing into itself. His legs were mangled, and Orion knew he wouldn't be walking for a while yet. As they walked closer to the two, they could hear Alphatrion scolding Skyquake for his stupidity.

"What were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed, and you certainly got others killed for your actions!" Alphatrion said, his deep, sad voice making it much more severe.

"I couldn't just sit around and do nothing! They parade the streets, thinking themselves sooo great, and at the same time offend and punish those beneath them for being born into their caste, as if we could actually do something about it, and that we are just too lazy to change our caste. Yeah right. I will not just stand by and do nothing, when they personally bully, offend, and push my own brother around!" Orion scowled at his words, as much as they rang truth.

"Yes, but was it worth it!" He called out, gaining the attention of the two "Many innocent bots died, and others like me were injured seriously. Was it worth it in the end? To have bots die by your actions, when your brother will most likely suffer even worse now as punishment!" Orion snarled out, hardly keeping his anger in check.

"Orion." Alphatrion said, and stared at him pointedly. Orion nodded, and let his cooling system run its course, calming him down.

"Well now, we couldn't have our star archivist hurt now, could we," Skyquake sneered, obviously ignoring Orion's words, except for him being injured. Orion narrowed his eyes. _As_ _always_, _Skyquake is being his selfish, arrogant self, and doing his best to offend me, _Orion thought.

"Skyquake, he's right," Kraken added, "And while Orion isn't our 'star' archivist, that would be Alphatrion, he is a very important part of our community. Orion knows more than half of all the passwords and codes here, and if he had been hurt beyond repair or, Primus forbids, offlined, well we would be in a lot of trouble." Skyquake gave him a look of loathing, which Kraken cowered under, but vented and nodded in submission. Orion thought about Skyquake's brother for a few moments. _If what Skyquake says is true, then Dreadwing must be around the Primes a lot, or he isn't safe where he dwells._

"If your brother is being 'picked on' by the Primes, then bring him here. He would be safe and well protected. We wouldn't let anything happen to him, especially I wouldn't. I would extend him that courtesy, as much as you and I don't exactly... get along," Orion said

"As if he would want your help! He is a proud bot; he would not ask for help from others for protection against tyrants!" Skyquake scoffed, then wheeled around to roll away, "I am going to have a light recharge; should anyone need me, I shall be in the library dorms," he added, and finally went off, muttering to himself as he did. Orion vented, shutting his optics off for a few moment as he regained his emotions. _That was bad of me, _he thought, _I almost lost my temper at him, and that would not have helped me or anyone else at all. I really need a tip off of Alphatrion on how to do that._

"Orion, are feeling better after last cycle's events? I was told by Kraken that you were hurt somewhat severely," Alphatrion asked, turning to them once Skyquake was out of sight. Orion nodded.

"I am feeling a little bit better, but still very sore," Orion replied. Alphatrion nodded, content with his answer, and walked off to check on some new archivists. Kraken helped Orion to his workspace, then left to go do some errands for him. Orion looked around the familiar room, making sure everything was in place. Three computers lined the wall, with a separate desk for each one. Each had a massive amount of storage space, and some of the best technology of the cycle. A rolling swivel chair sat in the middle desk, and Orion pulled it out to relax on. Once he was seated, he immediately got to work. As he was describing his view of yestercycle, he heard a small notification from the computer to his left. He rolled over to see that someone had left him a message earlier, and he opened up the file. Megatronus' voice filled the room as the computer relayed the message.

"Hey Orion, I know this is pretty early, but I don't have any other time free for a good while. I am in Kaon right now, and I was wondering how you are feeling this cycle. I bet you are sore. Hehehe. Wish I was there just to tease you about it. Also, I just wanted to tell you of some news. I know you won't exactly agree with this... no, you will probably yell at me for this, but I went to the Scarrows arena to join them. It was a little crazy. First I beat this gladiator who was already there, and when I did beat him, they told me that he wasn't from that arena, but from a small arena in Kaon! I couldn't believe it when they told me, so I just scoffed at them and began to talk to the director. But they insisted I go to Kaon and fight there, and so I agreed. So anyway, now I fight in Kaon. I will still visit, but I may be gone for far longer periods of time. But, to be honest, I feel really good about this. I am very proud of myself right now. Anyway, I have some files that Soundwave has asked for you to decode. I won't say what they are, but I will say we are both very sure that you will find some, interesting things in there. Alright, have to go now, comm me back this evening. "

Orion stood there for a few seconds, trying desperately not to glitch. Scarrows arena, then a Kaonian arena? Was he trying to kill himself? As much as he was a gifted fighter, he would die within a cycle! And why was he still meeting Soundwave, much to Orion's warnings. That mech was dangerous, and was actually a wanted bot in some cities.

"I am going to kill him. I am going to fragging kill him," Orion muttered, closing the file recording.

"I don't believe you will need to. His time in Kaon will do the job just perfectly," a voice behind him said, and Orion spun around to see Alphatrion standing in the doorway.

"Alphatrion, sir, I didn't hear you standing there. My apologies," Orion stammered, embarrassed that he was so easily sneaked up on.

"No apologies necessary. I did not want to be heard. I merely came to check up on you, and overheard the message. Is your friend always that reckless and arrogant?" Alphatrion replied, walking over to the computers.

"I wouldn't call him arrogant. Reckless, yes. Overestimating himself, yes. Getting into trouble all the time, yes. But arrogant, no. He just... doesn't doubt himself that much," Orion answered, spinning around to the main computer.

"And is he always sending messages like that, and getting into trouble?"

"Yes, quite a lot actually. For some reason, trouble is drawn to him like scraplets to metal." Orion got up to get a disk from the storage closet, limping the entire way.

"Do you want to take a cycle off tomorrow? You limp seems to be taking a toll on you," Alphatrion asked, giving him a servo to sit down.

"No Alphatrion, I'm fine. No need to worry about me. You should concentrate on making sure Skyquake doesn't get killed by anyone who wants him in tiny pieces of scrap metal. Not that I would actually mind..." Orion assured, and then waited for Alphatrion to stop chuckling before continuing, "Besides, there is too much work that needs to be finished. The new recruits have been slacking off a little lately, so usually I end up being the one to finish the work," Alphatrion scowled at him.

"What have I told you about that? You need to stop doing their work for them. They won't learn otherwise."

"I know, but sometimes they leave things that I would need soon, so I am forced to do it. Other times it is so interesting I can't leave it alone. I'm, sorry, Alphatrion. I will try to stop," Orion apologized, making Alphatrion shake his head and force the scowl on his faceplate, as much as it wanted to smile at Orion's constant wish for new knowledge and learning.

"You are so different from other Cybertronians, you know that? When others think it is interesting to know who won the last gladiator battle, you think the same about vorns old dead bots who created a city. It is very rare to find one such as you who takes a vivid interest in history, even when you know most of it already. Please, please don't let anyone take this away from you. I hope to see you one day in my mantle, continuing my work to teach the past to our fellow bots," Alphatrion said, looking at him with a calm pride and compassion. Orion stared at Alphatrion shocked, shuttering his optics on and off, to see if his imagination was playing a trick on him.

"Me? But, but I'm nothing special. I am only a mere archivist. You, you're the one and only Prime left from the Original Thirteen, as much as you gave up the title later. How could I ever hope to be as good as you?" Orion stuttered, utterly shocked by this.

"But you are special Orion; you merely do not see it. You are very skilled at being an archivist, and like Kraken said, we would be in deep trouble without you. You don't need to be a Prime to be special. You don't need to need to be a genius, or a scientist, or of a high caste. You need a strong spirit, which you definitely have. I trust you Orion, and my trust is very hard earned, as you have learned. I will be very assured of this archives future in your hands Orion. But do not worry, that cycle will not be so soon. Now, I must go. I have a few certain new recruits to talk to about abandoning work for early lunar cycles off." With that, he made his exit, leaving a humbled and mildly shocked Orion Pax.

"Thank you sir," he said softly, and turned back to his work. He couldn't believe it. _Alphatrion wants me, ME, to take over the archive when he has had enough, or when he... offlines, _he thought. _That would be the greatest honour of my life! Wow, lead archive of the Iacon hall, one of the most well-known archives on the planet. Wow._ He saw a blinking light in the corner of his optic, and swivelled to find that Megatronus had left a file attachment to his earlier message. He opened it, and it read:

Orion, please look over these documents for me. These are the ones I mentioned in the message. They are of great interest of Soundwave and I, and I think you will be interested in them too. -Megatronus

Orion looked at the files with distrust, but opened them against his better judgement. He saw that the files contained 42 different entries, all double coded by the looks of them. _Scrap, _he thought.

"Well, I best start a decoding program on this," Orion said with a vent and transferred the files to his main computer. He began the programming with a click, and walked off to do other jobs waiting for him.

A few joors later…

Orion felt exhausted as he slumped down on his swivel chair. Kraken had helped around most of the cycle, but it had still drained him, and Alphatrion had called Kraken for some errand, leaving Orion in dismay. _I wonder how I am going to get home now; _he mused, but brushed it aside. He could always stay at the archive's dorms, so it wasn't all that bad. He opened up the files, to see how far it had gone.

"Oh, come on," he complained out loud, "In the amount of time it took me to record the events last cycle, help the recruits wipe archive disks, clean Trackstar's office, and go to three joor-long meetings, it has only decoded one entry?!" He let his head fall against the desk with a thud, and groaned. He stayed that way for a few nanoclicks, and then lifted himself up. He opened the entry, and instantly wanted to destroy the computer. It was merely one of the 39 laws to keep the peace on Cybertron. _Wait... _he thought, _there are 39 laws, and these files obviously hold the current laws. So what are the other three? I know one was publically removed, and no one really disagreed with it at the time, but I don't remember there ever being two other laws. Maybe this is what Megatronus and Soundwave find interesting. _He began to read the entry, to see which one it was. He realized it was about the succession of Prime, but not before he saw that it was different than the current one. It read:

The title of Prime shall not be given to one born from a Prime, or related to a Prime, unless chosen by the people to gain said title. Any Cybertronian may become a Prime, but only by popular vote of the people, or being granted such title by Primus himself. Only in war, or when all Primes are suddenly unable to take leadership, may those related or in high status take the mantle of temporary leadership until a new Prime is chosen.

_Oh my Primus, _Orion thought, and he nearly collapsed then and there. The title of Prime wasn't inherited? Orion put his helm in his servos. _This changes everything, _he thought, _for the past fifteen generations we have been allowing the mantle of Prime to be inherited, when it wasn't supposed to? We common bots are supposed to choose a Prime. This is crazy. This isn't right. I... I should tell Alphatrion. But... wait. He's, well, was, a Prime also. Did he know of this? _Orion's optics widened at this revelation. _He could be in this... I can't ask him. But I need to tell someone. Who? Who can I trust? _Then his thoughts brushed across the file's messenger. _Megatronus. I'll tell Megatronus. I can trust him. _He programmed the decoding process to continue while the computer screen was off, and he then turned it off. He heard Kraken walking down the hallway, and quickly got ready to leave. A sense of dread filled him as Kraken walked him home and as he settled down for that pre-lunar cycle**. He sat quietly at his table, thoughts brewing on his revelation that cycle._ Gah, why me? First, I get caught in a troublesome feud massacre thing that my processor still won't admit occurred, then I realize that our Primes, the very bots I look up to, have been lying to us for millenniums. What am I going to do? _Orion let out a shaky vent, but he didn't leak. He hadn't done that since he was a sparkling, and he sure wouldn't do that now. But he trembled just the same. He finished the cube of energon that had been sitting there for a while now, and put it away. He went to his berthroom, and laid himself down to rest. _Some recharge will do me good. This is all probably some horrible mistake, and things will calm down in a 7-cycle. Yeah, just a horrible mistake. _With that, he fell into a fitful recharge.

*** Energon preparing station is basically a kitchen, for those who didn't quite get what I meant.**

****evening, again for those who didn't quite figure out what it was.**

**If anyone seems to... Ooc, if that's the word, sorry. I am merely following my mum's advice, and writing what I would want to read. So sorry again if you don't agree with how someone acts, or responds to something. I'm trying my best. Also, I would love it if you did the tiny simple act of replying to my story. I really would like some feedback that isn't from my family and best friends. Please? It would really make my day a lot sunnier! Just asking. You don't have to, but I would like some... *sigh* I sound a bit desperate, don't I?**


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